Challenge the Culture of Fear-Write a Letter to Reduce Shifa Sadequee's Sentence!!

Friday, September 11, 8:00-9:30pm at Charis Books & More

Since 9/11 there has been an increase of Islamophobia and the targeting of Muslim communities globally and here in our own local community. Almost a decade later, Shifa Sadequee, a US citizen and resident of Atlanta, was convicted and faces over 60years in federal prison for a crime he did not commit. Join activists and Shifa supporters to write letters & get updates about Shifa's case. Help reach the goal of sending 1,000 personal letters to Judge Duffy, urging him to reduce the sentencing! Letter writing supplies will be provided. Please contact freeshifa@gmail.com for more info.

NAMI GA's Family to Family Class Needs YOU!!!

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Georgia is offering the Family-to-Family Education Program at the offices of the Dream Center of Walton – Gwinnett starting Monday, September 14 at 7:00 p.m. and running for 11 consecutive weeks for 2 and ½ hours each Monday night.

The Dream Center Offices are located at:

109 Lee Byrd Rd
Loganville, Ga. 30052
404-387-5740

The NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program is a free, 11-week course for family, friends, loved ones and caregivers of individuals with severe mental illnesses.
● The course is taught by trained family members
● All instruction and course materials are free to class participants
● Over 115,000 family members have graduated from this national program

Call or e-mail Brenda Vinson to register
678-231-6263 or 770-338-0468
bvquilts@bellsouth.net
Class size is limited so register now!
Check our website for more information
www.namiga.org
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Currently NAMI only has two people signed up to take it and if ten more people do not register soon, then the class will be canceled! Learning about mental illness and how to help yourself and your family member is one of the most important things you can do, plus the class is free, so please do not hesitate to sign-up! And feel free to let others know about the class.

Strength in Vulnerability

We don't always have to be strong. Sometimes, our strength is expressed in being vulnerable. Sometimes, we need to fall apart to regroup and stay on track.

We all have days when we cannot push any harder, cannot hold back self-doubt, cannot stop focusing on fear, cannot be strong.

There are days when we cannot focus on being responsible. Occasionally we don't want to get out of our pajamas. Sometimes, we cry in front of people. We expose our tiredness, irritability, or anger.

Those days are okay. They are just okay.

Part of taking care of ourselves means we give ourselves permission to "fall apart" when we need to. We do not have to be perpetual towers of strength.. We are strong. We have proven that. Our strength will continue if we allow ourselves the courage to feel scared, weak, and vulnerable when we need to experience those feelings.

Today, God, help me to know that it is okay to allow myself to be human. Help me not to feel guilty or punish myself when I need to "fall apart."

From The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie ©1990

Identifying Anger and Expressing It Appropriately

"We boil at different degrees." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Anger is a major problem for many people. Some of us boil at the freezing point and some of us freeze at the boiling point.

Identifying anger and using it appropriately is something we didn't learn as children. We were preoccupied with trying to maneuver through the minefield in our homes.

We need to understand why we substitute anger for hurt, or why anger turns into self-hate or self-pity, or why we think we are terrible people if we feel this forbidden emotion.

I am relearning attitudes about anger. I can learn to express it appropriately.

by Mitzi Chandler. copyright 1989

Dear Angela - A Request to Quit Blow

Dear Angela,

It is with love
That I hold my heart
From you.

And it is most certainly
With pain each day that I keep
My heart hidden from view.

But I must.

For you are not acting
In love
Or
In kindness
Or
Anything even resembling
Your own true self.

I cannot let cocaine steal
My heart, my friends, my life.

I cannot let it destroy me
Like it has destroyed you!

And so I wait.

I wait for the day
When you return to me
Drug and drunk FREE.

OR

I wait for the day
I discover that you opted
Instead to come home to heaven.

Either way,
I am heartbroken
And sad

That you do not consider
My love and friendship-
And that of your two
Beautiful boys-

To be enough to keep you away
From the tortuous trip down cocaine lane.

National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month

This month is National Alcohol & Drug Recovery Month. If you click on the widget to the right, then it'll take you to a page full of resources for those seeking recovery from alcohol or drug abuse and all the events, not just for the month, but for the year, that celebrate recovery. Here are the events going on this week:

Brown-Bag Roundtable Discussion GU 09/03/2009 12:00 PM - 09/03/2009 1:00 PM
Facilitated by the Pacific Daily News in which treatment providers, individuals in recovery and family members discuss various aspects of treatment and recovery. This session leads to the submittal of articles for the editorial section of the Sunday News.

Recovery Month Kick-Off Carnival! FL 09/03/2009 3:00 PM - 09/03/2009 7:00 PM
A fun-filled afternoon to begin the celebration of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Month by bringing together families, recovering individuals and community resources. We will have great food catered by Tastebuds, carnival games, prizes and several bouncees for adults and children. Door prizes and drawings will feature recovery related items. Come join us!

The Art of Recovery - Gallery Show - Juneau AK 09/04/2009 5:00 PM - 09/04/2009 7:00 PM
The "Art of Recovery" show invites people in recovery to create art for a public showing. The pieces can be paintings, drawings, pastels, charcoal, sculptures, or other media. Contributors should be people in recovery from addiction disorders and/or mental illness. Artists can be professionals or amateurs. Pieces are inspired by recovery and reflect a celebration of recovery, rather than a reliving of the addiction or mental illness.

Serenity Walk GU 09/05/2009 5:30 AM - 09/05/2009 9:00 AM
A free event that takes place along the coastline where treatment providers, individuals in recovery and family members partake in a group walk promoting recovery of the mind, body and spirit. Light refreshments and t-shirts promoting recovery month will be provided for free.

4th Annual Ohio Recovery Ride OH 09/05/2009 10:00 AM - 09/05/2009 6:00 PM
Pep Rally begins at 10:00 am with onsite radio personalities and live broadcasting. The Ride is approx. a 2hr. run. Non-riders will visit the zoo and enjoy the pinic and playground area while the ride is taking place. When the riders return the program begins with a speaker,public officals and Dr.Westley Clark, Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment under the Substance Abuse and mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Food, fun and fellowship to follow.

Niagara Rally for Recovery NY 09/05/2009 12:00 PM - 09/05/2009 5:00 PM
A recovery rally and picnic at Oppenheim County Park

Celebrate Recovery Month with the Washington Nationals DC 09/06/2009 1:30 PM - 09/06/2009 5:00 PM
In celebration of Recovery Month the Washington DC recovering community will gather for an afternoon of baseball at National's Park in Washington DC

Pendulum Swingers by Indigo GIrls

Sorry, not feeling well, so can't write great articles today or maybe a while, we'll see... But, for your viewing pleasure, may I present you a video of "Pendulum Swingers" by Indigo Girls? Quite inspiring, I'd say!